Watching it from his corner, Yuto could not help admiring her.
This...
Was the true presence befitting a daughter of the Shinomiya family.
It really was impressive.
She looked like a completely different person from the Kaguya who visited his restaurant.
"To have someone like you as my daughter's friend is her honor, and something that makes me immensely proud as well."
"You flatter me, Mr. Yuuki."
As Shouzou continued speaking with Kaguya, the tense atmosphere gradually eased.
Quiet whispers began spreading through the crowd.
'So the Yuuki family really did manage to invite Kaguya Shinomiya...'
'The Yuuki family's daughter is actually friends with Kaguya Shinomiya?!'
'Shouzou Yuuki really hit the damn jackpot!'
'We should move closer later too. Find a chance to get familiar with Shinomiya...'
To Yuto, those supposedly hushed conversations were perfectly clear.
His five senses had long since surpassed ordinary human limits.
He could hear and see far more than anyone around him realized.
Listening to the whispers, he sighed faintly.
The world of high society really was exhausting.
Before long, the so-called elites began clustering around Kaguya like bees around honey.
One after another, they stepped forward to greet her.
Every person carefully calculated the ideal timing, expression, wording, and approach, all for the sake of leaving even the smallest impression on her.
The dignified and composed elites from only moments earlier quickly began losing that composure.
Faces flushed.
People subtly jostled for position.
Some even began sweating from the effort of trying to reach her.
The entire scene was deeply ironic.
And more than a little ridiculous.
Kaguya maintained a polite smile throughout it all, while Hayasaka remained close beside her and quietly protected her from the crowd.
Yuto watched for a moment before releasing another helpless sigh.
"Looks like I'll have to wait a little longer."
The commotion surrounding Kaguya clearly was not going to settle down anytime soon.
Just then, however...
Someone approached him.
Yuto's brow instinctively furrowed.
The man wore glasses and carried a mild, pleasant smile.
At first glance, he seemed gentle enough.
"Can I help you?"
Yuto straightened slightly.
The man smiled and adjusted his glasses.
"Hello. My name is Nobuyuki Sugou. I noticed you from across the room and thought I'd very much like to make your acquaintance. May I ask your name?"
"Kamisaka Yuto. What do you want?"
Yuto answered calmly.
The moment he looked properly at Sugou, an instinctive impression surfaced inside him.
This man...
Was a hypocrite.
After receiving Hestia's blessing and being strengthened by Yuuka's youkai essence, Yuto had developed a strange sensitivity toward people's character.
He could not literally read minds.
But sometimes, his instincts reacted before anything else did.
"So you're Kamisaka-kun. May I call you that?"
"Sure."
Yuto nodded indifferently.
"Judging by your age, I assume you're still in school. Are you one of Asuna's classmates?"
Sugou asked with the same light smile.
"Sorry, I'm not Asuna's classmate."
Yuto's brow furrowed slightly.
The casual way Sugou addressed Asuna inevitably made him wonder about their relationship.
Still, Yuto did not believe for a moment that Sugou was genuinely close to her.
Something about this man made him uncomfortable.
And Asuna did not strike him as someone who would willingly become close friends with a person like this.
"Oh? Then it seems I guessed wrong." Sugou's smile remained unchanged. "In that case, Kamisaka-kun, which school do you attend? Teioka Middle School? Shuchi'in Academy? Chiyo Middle School? Or perhaps you study abroad?"
Every school he mentioned was prestigious and largely attended by students from influential families.
Yuto's expression cooled slightly.
"I'm not a student. And again, what exactly do you want?"
Sugou adjusted his glasses.
The instant he heard that Yuto was not a student, the eyes hidden behind his lenses narrowed faintly.
"It's nothing important. I was simply curious how Kamisaka-kun came to know Asuna."
This time, Sugou's voice had become subtly colder.
The smile remained.
"What does that have to do with you?"
Yuto asked.
Sugou's lips curved upward a little more.
"What does it have to do with me? No, no, Kamisaka-kun. You have that backward. The question should be what it has to do with you."
His tone slowly became more condescending.
"You're still young, so perhaps there are certain things you don't understand. As an adult, I thought I should offer you a little advice."
The way he looked at Yuto now carried unmistakable contempt.
"There are certain people you can't simply approach as you please, Kamisaka-kun. Do you understand?"
Yuto nearly laughed.
Now he understood.
Sugou probably had feelings for Asuna.
He must have noticed the interaction between her and Yuto earlier, become jealous, and come over to establish his superiority.
"I don't understand. Could you explain in more detail?"
Yuto smiled faintly.
A brief flash of anger appeared in Sugou's eyes.
He immediately suppressed it and resumed his lofty expression.
"What I mean, Kamisaka-kun, is that you would be better off keeping your distance from Asuna. Otherwise, something unfortunate might happen."
He spoke as though offering kind advice to someone too ignorant to understand his own situation.
"You're probably just an ordinary person, aren't you? You happened to become friends with Asuna, and that's why you were lucky enough to be invited here. That's fine."
Sugou paused.
"But your relationship with Asuna should stop there."
His smile sharpened.
"You need to understand something. The difference in social status is very important."
Everything Sugou had asked earlier—Yuto's name, his school, his connection to Asuna—had simply been an attempt to assess his background.
Yuto could not help giving a mocking laugh.
Tonight's banquet really was interesting.
He had even managed to run into a villain.
What neither man realized was that Kaguya had already noticed Sugou approaching Yuto.
More accurately, Asuna had quietly walked over and told her where Yuto was standing.
From that moment onward, Kaguya's attention had remained focused in his direction.
Sugou's arrival irritated her immediately.
The man was blocking her view of Yuto.
Still, Kaguya reluctantly suppressed her displeasure.
Then she noticed that the two men were speaking.
Curiosity replaced some of her irritation.
She wanted to know what they were saying.
Perhaps it would even give her something to talk about when she finally went over to greet Yuto.
Although they were standing quite far apart...
Fortunately, Kaguya could read lips.
And so...
She "listened" to the entire conversation.
The longer Sugou spoke, the darker Kaguya's expression became.
The people surrounding her immediately fell silent.
Several became visibly nervous, each wondering whether they had accidentally said something offensive.
Then Kaguya's expression suddenly changed.
A calm smile returned to her face as she looked around at everyone.
"Everyone, this is Asuna's birthday banquet, after all. It wouldn't be appropriate for all of us to remain crowded together like this. If you have business you wish to discuss with me, we can arrange a meeting tomorrow or another day."
Her voice remained perfectly polite.
"For now, could you give me a little room and stop surrounding me?"
Naturally, nobody dared object.
Within moments, the crowd around Kaguya dispersed.
The instant they were gone, the faint smile disappeared from her face just as quickly as it had appeared.
Her expression darkened again.
Kaguya glanced toward Sugou.
"Asuna, do you know that man?"
Her voice was extremely calm.
Which, if anything, made it more dangerous.
Kaguya Shinomiya...
Was in a very bad mood.
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